The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-03-05
WOMAN AND HOME.
WHAT A PHYSICIAN SAYS ABOUT
CALLING ON THE SICK

The Fair Sex of the Pacific COast-When
Lamp Chimneys Crack-How to Be
notwithstanding Defended-DOn't
VVOrry-Parafraphs
There are many, especially in rural COM
munities, who make it practice to call on
their neighbors as soon as they are informed
that they are sick 1t makes no material
difference whether they are intimate friends
or merely casual acquaintance. No sooner
is one Of their neighbors stricken with disease
than they call on him The apparent object
of this call is to prefer their sympathy to
the sufferer, but the real motive in too
many instances, is to crafty a morbid
curiosity. To those of my readers who con
template calling on a sick acquaintance,
would first ask you to consider the probable
effect Of "A call Can you render any assist
aa.e: is your friendship such that your
words or even presence are a source of
pleasure to the poor sufferer? If so, then
immediately make your call. If not, there
arc yet many ways in which you can show
.nHr sympathy and interest. You can kindly
-4uire Of the family after his health. You
cam send him some little delicacy which per
I.D5 his poor appetite Graves. Flowers with
tuair beauty and fragrance are generally
appreciated by the sick These and other
l.... acts of kindness, prompted by right
mo.ira VIII be gratefully remembered, when
au abrupt call would create disgust, and be
r. .u au injury to the patient.
Having settled in your own mind that it
/. proper to call on your sick friend, you
should carefully consider how to make that
call blessing to him. To visit the sick re
c.ires common sense united with quick sensI-
IsItlcs. When person is racked with PAIN
profoundly exhausted as to lie in bed,
Fer5 from what he was when IN the en-
mt of his usual good health and must,
ore be approached in a different man
No explicit rules can be given on this
only that your greeting should be free
natural Above all things, do not tell
friend how sick he looks As a general
it is uubec0ming to closely question the
ut i'm regard to the particular nature
vnptoms Of his illness Only few gen
uuuiries can be made with prOpriety-
a regular physician is in attendance on
.ase it is exceedingly bad taste for the
to suggest medicines TO be taken IN
..... of those ordered by the doctor, or in
.ction with his remedies. This, however,
ZEN done especially by elderly ladies.
may have had Il long and large expert
u the care of the sick; not only have
acted SIS nurses, but, in the absence Of
ian have administered remedies from
ample stock Of roots and herbs. 1t lsnO
$50 that they have some degree OF cOhH-
lu their medicines, and Yet, under the
of a friendly call, it is wrong for them
-eupt to uzurp the place Of the attending
clan, or do anything to impair the conf
.n.s that should be placed III him. The
aa-..ag art IS science, and 10 unlock It's
...r.-s more study IS required than these
...-.av ladies assume to have given the sub
They are often keen observers Of dis
-. and they can sometimes render valuable
ance to the attending physician IN in
lining him of their observations.
& call on the sick should be brief, depend
On the intimacy Of the caller and the
.-ity of the illness The more sick the
mt, the shorter the call should be. To
visit nervous invalids, demands special tact
r-t tuere is no class Of persons more benefited
r fudicious callers than this unfortunate
u A. Loveland in Brattleboro House